Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN.com: Mattie’s body has healed from the cancer that nearly took her life . . . but can she find the man who can mend her lonely heart? Mattie has faced more in her twenty-three years than she ever imagined possible. Having successfully battled cancer, she’s ready to reenter the world with hopes for her future. But while she was in and out of hospitals, other Amish girls her age were courting and finding the men they would marry. The only man who’s ever made her heart beat faster is Graham Weaver, her best friend, who has always been there to comfort her, in good times and bad. Is it finally time for their friendship to become something more? But cruel gossip is spreading, claiming that Graham’s the father of the baby Jenna Yoder’s carrying. Will Mattie’s dreams of a happily-ever-after be crushed before they’ve left the ground? If you've been reading this series, then it's finally come to read about Mattie's story. We've followed her througho...

Summary from Christianbook .com: When her mother passes away, Ella's forced to auction off her family's farm. Her father died years ago, and she could never manage the fifty acres on her own. But after she moves to town, she can't deny the pain she feels watching the new owner, Loyal Weaver, repairing her family's old farmhouse-everything Ella had once dreamed of doing. What Ella doesn't know is that Loyal secretly hopes she will occupy this house again . . . as his wife. He begins inviting her over, to ask her opinion on changes he wants to make. As their friendship blooms, Ella starts to wonder about Loyal's intentions, especially when her best friend, Dorothy, hints that Loyal is not who he seems. There's no way the golden boy of their close-knit Amish community could be interested in Ella, long the wallflower, hidden away caring for her ailing parents. I think that if I were to meet Ella, we would probably be friends. Not the toxic friendship that she...

Summary from BN.com: Lucy is traveling by herself via train to Jacob's Crossing to help care for her cousin Mattie, recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Trying to overcome the sudden death of her husband, she's glad to get away and focus on someone else for a while. The only other Amish people on the train are Calvin Weaver and his little sister, Katie. When their train breaks down outside of Cleveland, Calvin and Lucy band together to face the outside world. But Calvin also carries the weight of past hurts. When an altercation brings both their wounds to light, they question whether they can trust each other. Once in Jacob's Crossing, Lucy is occupied with caring for Mattie, while Calvin does his best to run his family's farm. But they can't stop thinking about those special hours spent together. Will the bond they formed last? And will Lucy and Calvin be able to put away the pain in their pasts to recognize the happiness that is suddenly in their grasp? As I...

It’s Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holidays. But when two unexpected visitors appear seeking shelter, the family’s commitment to hospitality is tested. First Levi arrives, sullen and angry . . . but insisting on staying for five days. Next Melody shows up. She’s almost nine months pregnant, but won’t say a word about why she traveled all the way from Kentucky by herself. As the two strangers settle in, the Brennemans try to make the best of an uncomfortable situation, except for Katie, who and knows a thing or two about keeping secrets. She is determined to learn the truth about these two strangers . . . all while keeping her own secret safely hidden away. It's always exciting when an author goes back to one of her old series and writes a new book to update you on what's been going on with the characters. It always fees like you get another glimpse into their lives, sort of like peeking in just to s...

Until Robert Miller met Lilly Allen, his world had been dark. A widower after only two years of marriage, he'd been living in a haze, feeling that, at twenty-four, his life was already over. But thanks to his friendship with Lilly, he now has new reasons to wake up each day. He knows his connection to her doesn't make sense. She's only nineteen, with a past the whole town talks about. Even more, she's not Amish, like Robert. A marriage between the two of them could never happen. Lilly's heart is drawn to Robert, not to his faith. No matter how much she admires his quiet strength and dependability, she doesn't think she could ever give up her independence and reliance on the modern world. Is their love doomed before it even begins? It's time to return one more time to the folks at Sugarcreek and this time the main focus of the story is on Lily Allen. She was the pregnant teenager who had minor plot lines in previous books and now the attention is focused on h...

Scarred from a fire when she was small, Clara has resigned herself to living alone and caring for her mother. Believing that no man will be able to see past her scars, Clara has taken up teaching to support herself and her mother. When Tim Graber arrives in Sugarcreek, he doesn't fit in. But everything changes when he meets Clara. He appreciates her quiet nature and her loving way with children. When tragedy strikes, will Tim and Clara have the faith to risk everything for a chance at true love? I know I have said this before but I really am a fan of Amish fiction by Shelley Shepard Gray. Unlike other Amish books, her stories do not involve conflict between the Amish world and the outside world. There are no main stories about Amish teens struggling between their world and the new things they discover during their Rumspringa or drama about the church and ways of belief. Instead her books just embrace the culture and just let the characters do their own thing and just be A...

As winter winds blow, three young people wonder where God will lead them. Amish Joshua Graber is expected to marry Gretta Hershberger---but then Englisher Lilly Allen catches his eye. Gretta wonders what's gotten into Joshua. Would Roland Schrock be a better match? And Lilly is attracted to Joshua. Will her dark secret drive him away? I have been a big fan of Shelley Shepard Gray's Amish fiction. Her previous series, Sisters of the Heart, was really fun to read because I felt that they were comfort Amish reads. I never feel as if the Amish lifestyle is being pushed on me. Instead reading Gray's books are more of an introduction to the Amish as opposed of making me feel bad for not living like them. In this new series, we are shown what happens when the Amish and English world come together. I was really happy with how that was handled in this book. No one in the book wants to leave the Amish, no one wants to join the Amish. In fact there weren't very many cliche...

Lindsay realized when she married Ron, a man seventeen years her senior, that the odds were he'd see heaven before her, but she never expected to be a widow at thirty-five. She knows there's too much of life remaining for her to just sit around in mourning, but she can't seem to kick-start the rest of her life. Then unexpected help arrives...when Ron's first wife, Jane, shows up at Lindsay's front door. The executor of their late husband's estate, Jane is everything Lindsay's not: strong, stubborn, independent...and a lot older. There are other surprises as well, including Ron Jr. (whom Jane insists is not "really" Ron's son). But against all odds, a most unlikely friendship begins to develop—as each woman discovers how to own up to her past mistakes and to reevaluate what is really important. Told in the alternating voices of Jane and Lindsay, and featuring the return of many of the unforgettable characters introduced in The Trophy Wives Club,...

New levels of healing reach the Amish community in the lives of Winnie and her brother Jonathan. First, Jonathan is heartbroken when his barn burns down---it's been in the family for generations. When Winnie stumbles upon a clue, she must decide what to do. Should she confront the culprit? And if Jonathan finds out, will he be able to forgive? Injured in the fire, Winnie is confined to the hospital for weeks. While there she reconnects with her childhood friend Samuel Miller, a professor and researcher at the local university. Will their mutual respect for one another become something more? I've been a big fan of the books in the Sisters of the Heart series since I picked up book one. For some reason, they read differently from other Amish books. It's fresh and light, yet takes into account realistic views of both the Amish and English world. I think what I like best is that there are those who do get a taste of the outside world but their decision to choose the Amish li...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Wanted Avon Inspire (January 6, 2009) by Shelley Shepard Gray ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals. This is the second book in the Sisters Of Heart series. The first was Hidden . ABOUT THE BOOK Twenty-year-old Katie Brenneman has always quietly fancied Jonathan Lundy. So when the brokenhearted widower asks her to help him take care of his two young girls, Katie knows it will be a trying time-yet she cannot pass up...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Twice Loved Avon Inspire (July 22, 2008) by Lori Copeland ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lori lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, two daughter-in-laws, and five wonderful grandchildren. They are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa. Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995 after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market. To date, she has more than 95 books published including Now And Always and Bluebonnet Belle . ABOUT THE BOOK Texas, 1865 Willow Madison and her friends, Copper and Audrey taught school in neighboring Texas communities until the Yankees rode into the area and burned them out. In the midst of fear and chaos, survivors banded together to fight for ...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Hidden Avon Inspire (May 27, 2008) by Shelley Shepard Gray ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hidden is Shelley’s first foray into inspirational fiction. Previously, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned both her bachelors and masters degrees in education. She now lives in southern Ohio where she writes full time. Shelley is an active member of her church. She serves on committees, volunteers in the church office, and is part of the Telecare ministry, which calls homebound members on a regular basis. Shelley looks forward to the opportunity to write novels that showcase her Christian ideals. ABOUT THE BOOK Hidden is a remarkable story about the unlikely love between a modern girl on the run and an Amish boy from the family who shelters her. When Anna decides it's time to leave her abusive boyfriend, she doesn't know where to turn. Rob is a successful and respected person in her community. He has com...

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing THE TROPHY WIVES CLUB Avon Inspire (September 4, 2007) by Kristin Billerbeck ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristin Billerbeck was born in Redwood City, California. She went to San Jose State University and majored in Advertising, then worked at the Fairmont Hotel in PR, a small ad agency as an account exec, and then, she was thrust into the exciting world of shopping mall marketing. She got married, had four kids, and started writing romance novels until she found her passion: Chick Lit. She is a CBA bestselling author and two-time winner of the ACFW Book of the Year. Featured in the New York Times and USA Today, Kristin has appeared on the Today Show for her pioneering role in Christian chick lit. Her last three books were: Split Ends: Sometimes the End is Really the Beginning (April 17, 2007) She's Out of Control (Ashley Stockingdale Series #1) (Nov 13, 2007) Calm, Cool & Adjusted (Spa Girls Series #3) (Oct 1, 2006) AB...